Recommended by Claudia Haas

Salvation Road presents a tumultuous journey of a 17-year old boy hoping to rescue his sister from a church/cult. Gregory beautifully understands the teenage brain in all its sweeping assumptions and denials. The play never veers into stereotypical "cult plot" territory. Later when you meet a former cult member, Cliff's expectations (and mine) have been turned upside down. The pacing of the play is lightening swift. The humanity of all the characters shines with humor and poignancy. With sweeping themes of intolerance (on all sides), this coming of age story will leave you thinking after the play is over.

This was a page-turner in the form of an old-fashioned mystery. I galloped through it wanting - needing - to know more. Palmquist's play is about so many things: unconscious privilege, our consumerism, our belief in our own entitlements. With stark imagery and magical characters, the play deftly weaves in and out of the past and present. A beautiful play about a woman coming to terms with her life. You are left with hope (and probably a desire to know Chico).

A tight, tense, ten-minute play dealing with loss and survival. Fascinating that the "class" system is not just the haves and the have-nots, but the various classes of have-nots that exist. The two roles are multi-layered for the actors and the play leaves you with many thoughts before the final blackout not the least of which is, "How did we get here and how can we change it?"

This is a delightful satire on our coffee consumption needs as it looks to aliens. Aliens who come in peace and then unexpectedly get more aggressive when they order coffee. Jenkins plays with our need to be alone - in crowds, and our addiction to all things metal and caffeinated. By the end, you're ready for a latte and one of those hand-held devices created by aliens.

This is a most imaginative play built on the nitty-gritty reality of Puerto Rico's vulnerability to hurricanes. (Specifically in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.) Looking to soothe a frightened child, a Storyteller creates a tale of safety in the form of an indestructible building. It has all the elements of a fable: good, evil, magic, and redemption. Told through music, dance, movement and mime, Diaz-Marcano has created a gem that sparkles through his hero and heroine. Young audiences will be at the edge of their seats and their families will delight in its theatricality.

A lovely play about a moment in time between a father and daughter that couldn't be more awkward. Bykowski explores their past in one of the more amusing ways possible. She then gives you an ending that makes you hold your breath and wish all good things in the future for the two of them.

The titanic, mermaids and finally a friend/lover who jumped into the ocean. The play sets you up for the magnitude of the loss with these conversations. You mourn with Froggy and North. With such nuanced characters, you feel their loss intently. There's such honesty and beauty in this script that you become emotionally attached to all three characters.

This is a delightful introduction to the fairies of Shakespeare. With wit and a great deal of silliness, we find four fairies trying to get their time onstage (and you know it's going to work). Burbano offers a clever answer to the old-age question of "Did Shakespeare write Shakespeare?" No, the fairies did. The roles are perfectly suited to young performers and I am betting there will be a few in the audience wanting to go further in discovering who these fairies are. It's enough of a teaser to make young people open the Bard's book.

I saw this at the Inge Festival and it packed a whallop. Boyle finds so much life and humanity in the act of dying that it leaves you broken-hearted. The reality of war is front and center. We meet two "enemies" and in the span of ten-minutes we watch them cling to life, crack a joke, try to eat - all life affirmations - before they die. Tragic and poignant, it provides two thoughtful roles for the actors.

Hold on to your hats, it's going to be a bumpy life. And it is. Goldman-Sherman explores role-playing, gender-identity, Trumpism, climate change and even ye olde yearly Merry Christmas card with candor and warmth. Written with a deft ear (and eye) for character nuances, Sherman lays bare a marriage that is the poster child for our times. Her couple radiates their humanity in all its foibles. Sometimes you're nodding your head and then suddenly - you want to clobber them. The two roles are multi-layered and a gift to the actors. It's one crazy, funhouse ride.